Primary Central Nervous System Tumors

This comprehensive, yet practical, text is a ready collection of the most up-to-date information on primary CNS tumors. Authored by a carefully selected group of the world’s leading clinicians and scientists, the book is divided into three sections. The opening chapters cover general principles, including epidemiology, pathogenesis, tumor stem cells, supportive care, complications of therapy, and quality of life. The remaining two sections are comprised of treatment-oriented chapters covering the spectrum of gliomas and rarer tumor types. Each of these chapters presents multi-disciplinary therapeutic approaches and addresses specific disease concerns. Throughout, the authors incorporate the cutting-edge advances in molecular biology and genomics that are revolutionizing neuro-oncology. The result is an important clinical resource which provides evidence-based data and interpretation essential to intelligent therapeutic decision making.

Since the late 1960s, the survival rate in children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer has steadily improved, with a corresponding decline in the cancer-specific death rate. Although the improvements in survival are encouraging, they have come at the cost of acute, chronic, and late adverse effects precipitated by the toxicities associated with the individual or combined use of different types of treatment (e.g., surgery, radiation, chemotherapy). In some cases, the impairments resulting from cancer and its treatment are severe enough to qualify a child for U.S. Social Security Administration disability benefits. At the request of Social Security Administration, Childhood Cancer and Functional Impacts Across the Care Continuum provides current information and findings and conclusions regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of selected childhood cancers, including different types of malignant solid tumors, and the effect of those cancers on childrenâ (TM)s health and functional capacity, including the relative levels of functional limitation typically associated with the cancers and their treatment. This report also provides a summary of selected treatments currently being studied in clinical trials and identifies any limitations on the availability of these treatments, such as whether treatments are available only in certain geographic areas.

Though the treatment of central nervous system (CNS) tumors has been challenging, new advances have helped us better understand the molecular and genetic makeup of many tumor types, and new chemotherapies and immunotherapies have extended survival in patients with aggressive primary CNS tumors. This book discusses pediatric and adult tumors of the CNS, the classification schemes used to categorize them, advances in surgical techniques, and several important genetic alterations found in these tumors. We hope this book contributes to the reader’s understanding of these tumors and provides the most up-to-date and cutting-edge discoveries in this exciting field.

With an annual rate of more than 12 million global diagnoses and 7.6 million deaths, the societal and economic burden of cancer cannot be overstated. Brain metastases are the most common malignant tumors of the central nervous system, yet their incidence appears to be increasing in spite of the advancement of cancer therapies. While much is known about primary cancers (including primary brain tumors), less work has been done to uncover the roots of metastatic disease. Brain Metastases from Primary Tumors Volume 1 fills that gap, serving as the first reference to focus primarily on the link between primary cancers and brain metastases. This link is explored for the most common cancer types – lung, breast, and melanoma. Additionally, biological background as well as therapy for CNS metastases is addressed. Age and gender related trends are also discussed, as is the use of biomarkers for early detection. The only comprehensive reference detailing the link between primary cancers and brain metastases Aids the target audience in determining the incidence of brain metastases in patients with a primary cancer Provided education about the potential use of biomarkers for early detection, diagnosis and prevention of the spread of primary cancer to the brain Documents temporal and gender-related trends in brain metastases from other cancers Edited work with chapters authored by leaders in the field around the globe – the broadest, most expert coverage available

Central nervous system (CNS) tumors are a heterogeneous group consisting of more than 100 tumor types originating from the brain, cerebellum, brain stem, spinal cord, and meninges. Despite the positive developments of recent years, especially in the treatment of high-grade brain tumors, treatment outcomes have not yet reached an acceptable level. However, due to advances in clinical and experimental studies, the genetic and molecular structures of many high-grade CNS tumors are now better understood. The World Health Organization’s 2021 Classification of CNS Tumors has aided the understanding of the genetic, molecular and immunological structures of these tumors as well as their interactions with their microenvironment. Targeted therapies and vaccines developed with immunotherapy protocols are promising developments. This book explores the natural history of CNS tumors and discusses relevant treatment protocols.

A novel concept that is reviewed and discussed in several chapters in the book alludes to the transport of drugs bound to red blood cells into the highly vascular CNS tumors - both primary and metastatic. Such a transport mechanism is unique and of significant therapeutic potential. It is hopeful that the novel information presented in this book will result in new approaches to the treatment CNS tumors.